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IoT (Internet of Things) Wireless & Cloud Computing Emerging Technologies

About this Course

IoT (Internet of Things) devices are already abundant, but new products that include IoT modules are now a common trend. Also, almost everything is already connected to a Cloud, and much more will be in the future. Naturally, as this trend continues, in the near future almost all devices and appliances will include IoT modules which will use sensor data collection and control/management based on Clouds. Since we will live in an IoT world supported by Clouds, knowledge of the core technologies and platforms of IoT and Clouds will enable you with the tools to become a true leader in the future product and business world. In this course, the start-of-the-art IoT and wireless networks and Cloud technologies are introduced (for details on 1G to 5G mobile communications and smartphone and smart device technology, please take my course “Smart Device & Mobile Emerging Technologies”). This course ends with projects that teach how to analyze Bluetooth and W-Fi wireless networks and setup and use an EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) Virtual Computer in AWS (Amazon Web Service), which is the most powerful and popular Cloud technology in the world. Comparing to the human body, IoT is the neural network and the Cloud is the brain. Thus, I cordially welcome you into the brain and neural network of the future intelligence world!

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Syllabus

IoT Business & Products

-The first module “IoT Business & Products” focuses on the influence of IoT and provides an overview of the trends in North America and the world’s IoT market and industry. The differences in IoT products and services are also described followed by an introduction of the types of leading IoT companies and products, which include Atmel, Android Things, Samsara, ZingBox, and Uber. In addition, IoT services types (i.e., M2M, M2P, P2M, P2P) and their economic impact and the advantages of IoT applications as well as the IoT & M2M ecosystem are introduced.

IoT Architecture & Technologies

-The second module “IoT Architecture & Technologies” focuses on the functionality and characteristics of the IoT architecture layers as well as the characteristics of IoT technologies, which include WSN (Wireless Sensor Networks), IoT cloud computing, IoT R&D (Research & Development), and IoT hardware technologies. Further details are provided in the descriptions of the characteristics of IoT sensors types, actuator types, and RFID types as well as the functionality and characteristics of IoT device platforms, which include the Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and BeagleBoard products. Next, a comparison of the representative IoT developer platform products is presented, which include the Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, BeagleBoard, Beaglebone Black, and the Arduino systems Uno R3 (for entry and general purpose), Yun (for IoT), and Lilypad (for wearable).

IoT Networks

-The third module “IoT Networks” focuses on the functionality and characteristics of IoT wireless networks, the IoT network architecture, and wearable IoT networks. To describe the frequency requirements, the characteristics and requirements of the ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band are introduced. Next, the functionality and characteristics of IoT wireless communication technologies based on WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network), and LPWAN (Low-Power Wide Area Network) are described. Then further details on WPAN (which include Bluetooth, ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, and IEEE 802.15.4 technology) and LPWAN (which include LoRa, UNB, Sigfox, and NB-IoT) are provided. In addition, the advantages of IoT and 5G mobile communication networks and the characteristics of mMTC (massive MTC) is covered.

Wi-Fi & Bluetooth

-The fourth module “Wi-Fi & Bluetooth” focuses on the details of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. First, Wi-Fi technology and the WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) market is introduced, followed by a description of the functionality of Wi-Fi transmission modes (which include the Infrastructure mode and the Ad-Hoc mode) and wireless APs (Access Points) as well as BSS (Basic Service Set) and ESS (Extended Service Set) network formations. The internal process of Wi-Fi operations and role of DCF (Distributed Coordination Function) and CSMA/CA (Carrier-Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) are described followed by the characteristics of Wi-Fi standards (which include the IEEE 802.11a, 11b, 11e, 11g, 11n, 11p, 11ac, 11ad, 11ah specifications), Wi-Fi PHY (Physical Layer) modulation schemes, as well as the IFS (Inter-Frame Space) types and how IFSs are used in priority access control. In addition, the advantages of Wi-Fi Dual Band and Wi-Fi Direct are introduced. Second, Bluetooth standards and feature evolution are introduced, which include the specifications from 1.1 to 5 including EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), HS (High Speed), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), and Beacon technology. The description incudes the characteristics of Bluetooth piconets and types of operations (which include Classic Bluetooth and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)) as well as the channel specifications, advertising, and connection events.

Cloud Technology

-The fifth module “Cloud Technology” focuses on the Cloud market analysis, Cloud service types, MCC (Mobile Cloud Computing), and Edge Computing technology. Frist, the characteristics of the world’s top cloud companies and their services including AWS (Amazon Web Service), Microsoft, IBM, Google, and Apple’s iCloud are introduced. Then the characteristics of cloud models, which include public cloud, private cloud, community cloud, and hybrid cloud are described along with the differences in cloud service models, which include SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Based on the service models, the benefits and characteristics of Cloud services are introduced. More details on the operation process are introduced, which include the IaaS and VM (Virtual Machine) administration, PaaS Runtime Environment for application support, and Open SaaS applications access processes. Then the relation between IoT and state-of-the-art mobile cloud technology is introduced. First the differences in MCC (Mobile Cloud Computing) and Edge Computing are described, which includes details on Fog computing, MEC (Mobile Edge Computing), and Cloudlet technology. In addition, the functionality and characteristics of the Cloudlet architecture and its 3 layers are covered.

IoT Bluetooth & Wi-Fi and EC2 Cloud Projects
-The sixth module “IoT Bluetooth & Wi-Fi & AWS EC2 Project” focuses on three IoT projects to provide experience in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AWS (Amazon Web Service) EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) system details. The first project provides experience on the operation process of Bluetooth in Android and iPhone smartphones, teaching how to scan a Bluetooth packet and identify different Bluetooth versions being used on a smartphone. The second project provides experience on the operation process of Wi-Fi in Android and iPhone smartphones, teaching how to use a Wi-Fi network analyzer, conduct a LAN scan, send ping to a gateway, conduct a Wi-Fi signal scan, and use a Wi-Fi channel graph. The third project provides experience on how to setup an EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) Virtual Computer in AWS (Amazon Web Service) and how to use various options and compute a process on EC2 and use S3.

Introduction to FPGA Design for Embedded Systems

About this Course

Overview

This course will provide an introduction and history of cellular communication systems that have changed our lives during the recent four decades and will become an essential and inseparable part of human life. The principles of wireless communication theory are covered with emphasis on the essential concept delivery to non-major learners in the easiest way. Then, it will be covered how such principles are realized and how multimedia services can be delivered in practical LTE cellular systems by which learners are connected and enjoys together in their lives.

After completing this course, learners will be able to understand
1. What a cellular system is and how it has been developed so far
2. The very basic principles how information can be delivered efficiently using radio
3. How such principles are realized in LTE systems.
4. How people can be connected and multimedia services can be delivered in LTE systems

Promotion Video

Syllabus

Introduction and History of Cellular Communication Systems
-In this part of the course, we will learn the introduction and history of cellular communication system. First, we will take a example of cellular communication system with cell phone. And then, learn about the what a cellular system is and how it has been developed so far. Lastly, we will briefly look into the concepts of future cellular systems.

Principles of Wireless Communication Theory
-In this part of the course, we will learn the fundamental principles of wireless communication theory. I will raise five fundamental questions in the first lecture as follows: i) ‘how can we represent information into a binary format?’, ii) ‘how can information be transferred?’, iii) ‘how does wireless digital MODEM work?’, iv) ‘how can high-rate data be delivered reliably?’, and v) ‘how can many users access simultaneously?’. During the following 5 lectures, you will have the answers.

Principles of Wireless Resource Management
-In this part of the course, we will discuss the basic concept of wireless resource management. I will raise six interesting questions as follows: i) ‘how does the interference affect the capacity of wireless networks?’, ii) ‘why does the cellular system look like as of today?’, iii) ‘Increasing the number of cells increases the capacity?’, iv) ‘how is 5G cellular being shaped?’, v) ‘how does the interference management increase the capacity?’ and Ⅵ) ‘how does scheduling increase the average capacity?’.

Multiple Antenna Technologies
-In this part of the course, we will learn how multiple antennas can be efficiently used in different strategies for communication system enhancement. First, we look in to the basics of antenna, and then learn about the three main gains that are achievable by multiple antennas: array, diversity, and spatial multiplexing. Lastly, we briefly look in to the concepts of single-user MIMO and multi-user MIMO.

Physical Layer Design of LTE systems
-In this part of the course, we will learn how the fundamental principles of wireless communication theory, resource management, and multiple antenna technology are implemented in the LTE system.

Wireless communications for everybody

About this Course

Overview

Syllabus

Introduction and History of Cellular Communication Systems

-In this part of the course, we will learn the introduction and history of cellular communication system. First, we will take a example of cellular communication system with cell phone. And then, learn about the what a cellular system is and how it has been developed so far. Lastly, we will briefly look into the concepts of future cellular systems.

Principles of Wireless Communication Theory

-In this part of the course, we will learn the fundamental principles of wireless communication theory. I will raise five fundamental questions in the first lecture as follows: i) ‘how can we represent information into a binary format?’, ii) ‘how can information be transferred?’, iii) ‘how does wireless digital MODEM work?’, iv) ‘how can high-rate data be delivered reliably?’, and v) ‘how can many users access simultaneously?’. During the following 5 lectures, you will have the answers.

Principles of Wireless Resource Management

-In this part of the course, we will discuss the basic concept of wireless resource management. I will raise six interesting questions as follows: i) ‘how does the interference affect the capacity of wireless networks?’, ii) ‘why does the cellular system look like as of today?’, iii) ‘Increasing the number of cells increases the capacity?’, iv) ‘how is 5G cellular being shaped?’, v) ‘how does the interference management increase the capacity?’ and Ⅵ) ‘how does scheduling increase the average capacity?’.

Multiple Antenna Technologies

-In this part of the course, we will learn how multiple antennas can be efficiently used in different strategies for communication system enhancement. First, we look in to the basics of antenna, and then learn about the three main gains that are achievable by multiple antennas: array, diversity, and spatial multiplexing. Lastly, we briefly look in to the concepts of single-user MIMO and multi-user MIMO.

Physical Layer Design of LTE systems

-In this part of the course, we will learn how the fundamental principles of wireless communication theory, resource management, and multiple antenna technology are implemented in the LTE system.

FPGA computing systems: Background knowledge and introductory materials

About this Course

This course is for anyone passionate in learning how a hardware component can be adapted at runtime to better respond to users/environment needs. This adaptation can be provided by the designers, or it can be an embedded characteristic of the system itself. These runtime adaptable systems will be implemented by using FPGA technologies.

Within this course we are going to provide a basic understanding on how the FPGAs are working and of the rationale behind the choice of them to implement a desired system. This course aims to teach everyone the basics of FPGA-based reconfigurable computing systems. We cover the basics of how to decide whether or not to use an FPGA and, if this technology will be proven to be the right choice, how to program it. This is an introductory course meant to guide you through the FPGA world to make you more conscious on the reasons why you may be willing to work with them and in trying to provide you the sense of the work you have to do to be able to gain the advantages you are looking for by using these technologies. We rely on some extra readings to provide more information on the topic covered in this course. Please NOTE that most of the time, these documents are provided through the IEEE Xplore Digital Library, which means that, to access them, you have to have a valid IEEE subscriptions, either does by yourself or through your university/company. The course has no prerequisites and avoids all but the simplest mathematics and it presents technical topics by using analogizes to help also a student without a technical background to get at least a basic understanding on how an FPGA works. One of the main objectives of this course is to try to democratize the understanding and the access to FPGAs technologies. FPGAs are a terrific example of a powerful technologies that can be used in different domains. Being able to bring this technologies to domain experts and showing them how they can improve their research because of FPGAs, can be seen as the ultimate objective of this course. Once a student completes this course, they will be ready to take more advanced FPGA courses.

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Syllabus

A Bird’s Eye View on Adaptive Computing Systems

-Nowadays the complexity of computing systems is skyrocketing. Programmers have to deal with extremely powerful computing systems that take time and considerable skills to be instructed to perform at their best. It is clear that it is not feasible to rely on human intervention to tune a system: conditions change frequently, rapidly, and unpredictably. It would be desirable to have the system automatically adapt to the mutating environment. This module analyzes the stated problem, embraces a radically new approach, and it introduces how software and hardware systems ca ben adjusted during execution. By doing this, we are going to introduce the Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) technologies and how they can be (re)configured.

An introduction to Reconfigurable Computing

-Traditionally, computing was classified into General-Purpose Computing performed by a General-Purpose Processor (GPP) and Application-Specific Computing performed by an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). As a trade-off between the two extreme characteristics of GPP and ASIC, reconfigurable computing has combined the advantages of both. On one hand reconfigurable computing can have better performance with respect to a software implementation but paying this in terms of time to implement. On the other hand a reconfigurable device can be used to design a system without requiring the same design time and complexity compared to a full custom solution but being beaten in terms of performance. The main advantage of a reconfigurable system is its high flexibility, while its main disadvantage is the lack of a standard computing model. In this module we are presenting a first definition of reconfigurable computing, describing the rationale behind it and introducing how this field has been influenced by the introduction of the FPGAs.

Reconfigurable Computing and FPGAs

-From the mid-1980s, reconfigurable computing has become a popular field due to the FPGA technology progress. An FPGA is a semiconductor device containing programmable logic components and programmable interconnects but no instruction fetch at run time, that is, FPGAs do not have a program counter. In most FPGAs, the logic components can be programmed to duplicate the functionality of basic logic gates or functional Intellectual Properties (IPs). FPGAs also include memory elements composed of simple flip-flops or more complex blocks of memories. Hence, FPGA has made possible the dynamic execution and configuration of both hardware and software on a single chip. This module provides a detailed description of FPGA technologies starting from a general description down to the discussion on the low-level configuration details of these devices, to the bitstream composition and the description of the configuration registers.

Examples on how to configure an FPGA

-FPGA design tools must provide a design environment based on digital design concepts and components (gates, flip-flops, MUXs, etc.). They must hide the complexities of placement, routing and bitstream generation from the user. This module is not going through these steps in details, an entire course will be needed just for this, but it is important at least to have an idea of what it is happening behind the scene to better understand the complexity of the processes carried out by the tools you are going to use. Within this context, this module guides you through a simple example, which is abstracting the complexity of the underlying FPGA, starting from the description of the circuit you may be willing to implement to the bitstream used to configure the FPGA.

An Introduction to Reconfigurations

-Before continuing in this terrific journey in the reconfigurable computing area, it can be useful to define a common language. Obviously, some of these terms have been already used but it is now time to better understand them and to make some order before continuing with more advanced concepts. Furthermore, as we know, FPGA configuration capabilities allow a great flexibility in hardware design and, as a consequence, they make it possible to create a vast number of different reconfigurable systems. These can vary from systems composed of custom boards with FPGAs, often connected to a standard PC or workstation, to standalone systems including reconfigurable logic and General Purpose Processors, to System-on-Chip’s, completely implemented within a single FPGA mounted on a board, with only few physical components for I/O interfacing. There are different models of reconfiguration, and a scheme to classify them is presented in this module. We can consider this module as a transitional/turning point module. We have been exposed to some terminology and concepts and we are now ready to move forward. To do this, we need to combine all the pieces of the puzzles together and to invest a bit at looking at the overall picture, and this is exactly what this module has been designed for.

Towards Partial Dynamic Reconfiguration and Complex FPGA-based systems

-The reconfiguration capabilities of FPGAs give the designers extended flexibility in terms of hardware maintainability. FPGAs can change the hardware functionalities mapped on them by taking the application offline, downloading a new configuration on the FPGA (and possibly new software for the processor, if any) and rebooting the system. Reconfiguration in this case is a process independent of the execution of the application. A different approach is the one that considers reconfiguration of the FPGA as part of the application itself, giving it the capability of adapting the hardware configured on the chip resources according to the needs of a particular situation during the execution time. In this case we are referring to this reconfiguration as dynamic reconfiguration and the reconfiguration process is seen as part of the application execution, and not as a stage prior to it. This module illustrates a particular technique, which is extending the previous two, that has been viable for most recent FPGA devices, Partial Dynamic Reconfiguration. To fully understand what this technique is, the concepts of reconfigurable computing, static and dynamic reconfiguration, and the taxonomy of dynamic reconfiguration itself must be analyzed. In this way partial dynamic reconfiguration can be correctly placed in the set of system development techniques that it is possible to implement on a modern FPGA chip.

Design Flows

-After presenting different solutions proposed to design and implement dynamic reconfigurable systems, this module will describe a general and complete design methodology that can be followed as a guideline for designing reconfigurable computing systems. To design and implement a reconfigurable computing system, designers need Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools for system design and implementation, such as a design analysis tool for architecture design, a synthesis tool for hardware construction, a simulator for hardware behavior simulation, and a placement and routing tool for circuit layout. We may build these tools ourselves or we can also use commercial tools and platforms for reconfigurable system design. The first choice implies a considerable investment in terms of both time and effort to build a specific and optimized solution for the given problem, while the second one allows the re-use of knowledge, cores, and software to reach a good solution to the same problem more rapidly. This module is guiding the students through an historical view on how CAD frameworks evolved through the years. This is done to show how fast the technology is evolving and the rationale behind the choice made to improve the users experience when working with an FPGA-based system. Not only commercial tools are described, but also the personal journey done by the course instructor and his research team, starting from his early days as a PhD up to the research challenges they are nowadays working on.

Closing remarks and future directions

-We are working at the edge of the research in the area of reconfigurable computing. FPGA technologies are not used only as standalone solutions/platforms but are now included into cloud infrastructures. They are now used both to accelerate infrastructure/backend computations and exposed as-a-Service that can be used by anyone. Within this context we are facing the definition of new research opportunities and technologies improvements and the time cannot be better under this perspective. What it is needed now is new platform creation tools, monitoring and profiling infrastructure, better runtime management systems, static and dynamic workload partitioning, just to name a few possible areas of research. This module is concluding this course but posing interesting questions towards possible future research directions that may also point the students to other Coursera courses on FPGAs.

Browse more Courses

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IoT (Internet of Things) Wireless & Cloud Computing Emerging Technologies

About this Course

About this Course

Promotion Video

Syllabus

Syllabus

IoT Business & Products

IoT Architecture & Technologies

IoT Networks

Wi-Fi & Bluetooth

Cloud Technology

Introduction to FPGA Design for Embedded Systems

About this Course

Overview

Promotion Video

Syllabus

Syllabus

Wireless communications for everybody

About this Course

Overview

Syllabus

Syllabus

Introduction and History of Cellular Communication Systems

Principles of Wireless Communication Theory

Principles of Wireless Resource Management

Multiple Antenna Technologies

Physical Layer Design of LTE systems

FPGA computing systems: Background knowledge and introductory materials

About this Course

About this Course

Promotion Video

Syllabus

Syllabus

A Bird’s Eye View on Adaptive Computing Systems

An introduction to Reconfigurable Computing

Reconfigurable Computing and FPGAs

Examples on how to configure an FPGA

An Introduction to Reconfigurations

Towards Partial Dynamic Reconfiguration and Complex FPGA-based systems

Design Flows

Closing remarks and future directions

FPGA computing systems: Background knowledge and introductory materials

About this Course

Promotion Video

Syllabus

Syllabus

A Bird’s Eye View on Adaptive Computing Systems

An introduction to Reconfigurable Computing

Reconfigurable Computing and FPGAs

Examples on how to configure an FPGA

An Introduction to Reconfigurations

Towards Partial Dynamic Reconfiguration and Complex FPGA-based systems

Design Flows

Closing remarks and future directions

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